sumalak for simplicity...45

by Umeda IslamovaMarch 11, 2017

Today, my mom is hosting the cooking of sumalak. It’s a brown, smooth, creamy substance made solely from wheat grains, water, and a little bit of oil. It’s a traditional practice among the Persian countries that symbolizes community and abundance.⠀⠀⠀It is not Islamic at all, but it does promote a grateful heart, simplicity, and charity. The practice began at the time of poverty and deprivation.⠀

⠀Making sumalak takes at least 14 hours. The whole time, the creamy substance is mixed over and over and cooks on low open fire. This promotes patience, hard work, and perseverance. ⠀⠀⠀All over the world we have people who are living with hardship and abuse, in poverty and deprivation, and lack of safety and security. ⠀

⠀Islam promotes teaching simplicity to children and holding the practice among the parents. Simplicity comes in form of mentality of minimalism, dressing, speech, spending, eating, etc.⠀

⠀Once in a while schedule a day to lead a simple life with your family. Perhaps you will try a simple dark bread and water for breakfast. Perhaps you have a day of no spending. Perhaps you will try a day with no electricity or simply no technology. Find your own way to experience simplicity. ⠀

⠀Empathy and understanding comes from experience. And because we are pulled to consume from all directions, it is more and more important to plan and schedule days of simplicity to remind us of the unfortunate, of our ummah, and of charity.